(1) Field of the Invention
The invention is generally related to platinum complexes having anti-viral activity and methods of using them for treating patients, including both humans and animals, with viral infections.
(2) Background Information
Platinum complex compounds have been proposed for use in pharmaceutical compositions for several types of medical treatments on animals.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,263 teaches the use of various platinum (II) and (IV) coordination compounds, such as chloroplatinumammines, for treatment of malignant tumors in animals. U.S. Pat. No. 5,562,925 is related to U.S. Pat. No. 4,177,263.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,225,207 teaches Pt complexes for pharmaceutical applications in treatment of cancers, in which amino-groups of a Pt(II) complex, e.g., a chloroplatinumammine derivative, form a part of the same heterocyclic ring including the Pt atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,827 teaches a platinum (II) complex useful as an anti-tumor agent in which the bidentate amine is retained in the formula while a heterocyclic sulphinyl carboxylate group is formed in lieu of the other two donor ligands and the heterocyclic ring includes the Pt atom as a ring atom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,343 teaches an anticancer agent that is polymeric platinum (II) complex in which a bioactive diamineplatinum (II) moiety is incorporated into a polyphosphazene backbone of a polymer chain.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,587 teaches a method for treating animals afflicted with a viral infection with certain types of platinum coordination compounds of the formulae described therein. The preferred compounds are described as being cis-Pt(II)(NH.sub.3).sub.2 Cl.sub.2 complexes, cis-Pt(IV)(NH.sub.3).sub.2 Cl.sub.4 complexes, and cis-Pt(II)(H.sub.2 O).sub.2 (NH.sub.3).sub.2 complexes. The '587 patent also teaches certain trans-Pt(IV) compounds, as well as certain malonato platinum (II) and (IV) coordination compounds.
Although some advances have been made, there still remains a major need in the health field to develop and identify new compounds that have significant anti-HIV activity. As known, the HIV (human immunodeficiency virus), formerly referred to as HTLV-III, is a retrovirus that is the etiologic agent of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). As known, AIDS is a disease that compromises the competency of the immune system, characterized by persistent lymphadenopathy and various opportunistic infections, such as Pneumo-cystiscarnii pneumonia, cytomegalovirus, disseminated histoplasmosis, candidiasis, and isosporiasis, and so forth. In view of these pervasive effects on the body, the development of new drugs that will effectively treat an HIV-infected patient has been a challenging undertaking.